Mashteuiatsh Amerindian Museum

The Société d’Histoire et d’Archéologie was born from a desire of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh – Montagnais of Lac-Saint-Jean at the time – to preserve and promote their culture. The socio-political context of the late 1960’s led the band’s members to a cultural awakening, which marked the first steps of a long process towards the Pekuakamiulnuatsh’s development of tourism, cultural affirmation and self-determination.

In this context, a committee of active volunteers decided to create the Société d’Histoire et d’Archéologie de Pointe-Bleue, a corporation that will ensure conservation and cultural transmission and which will manage the future Pointe-Bleue Musée Amérindien. Located in the old presbytery of the village bought by the Band Council, the Society was incorporated in the summer of 1976 and the Musée Amérindien officially opened its doors the following summer.

As soon as the museum opened, the population’s enthusiasm for the cultural institution is felt, which largely contributed to its evolution. From that moment, the members of the Society and the Museum’s general management identified new needs to be met. Shortly after, in 1978, the Society succeeded in obtaining financial assistance from a Canada-Quebec agreement for the relocation of the Musée Amérindien.

The Museum is inaugurated on its current site on July 2, 1983. The Museum then went from third to second category. The relocation also contributes to the increase in the collections and the increase in the Museum’s notoriety at not just the regional level, but the national level as well. In fact, in 1985 the General Management of the Arts from the Government of Quebec ranked the Musée Amérindien de Pointe-Bleue as the second largest museum from those located in Quebec. At that time, the Museum supported by a dynamic and passionate team welcomes nearly 15,000 visitors every year. In 1998, the museum’s size was increased for the first time, thus increasing the number of exhibits presented at the same time.